Acceptance
by ADangerousMuteLunatic
Summary: BEGA team joins BBA, but not everyone's wiling to accept enemies as friends. Trust slowly builds, except for Garland. Many were shocked by his battle against Tala so avoid him, Garland isn't happy about this & blames Tala & threatens him & Tala won't tell
1. Rise from the ashes

**Acceptance**

** By EpitomeOfMisery**

** Chapter I: Rise from the ashes**

Today was the day. The opening of the new BBA building in place of BEGA. The start of a new era of Beyblading.

"Oh man, I can't wait." Three time world champion and winner of the BEGA justice 5 tournament, Tyson Granger, beamed. It was his responsibility to cut the ribbon and open the new Beyblading headquarters.

"Just wait and see! I'll train till I'm number one!" Daichi boasted.

They currently stood amongst a large crowd that had gathered around the new building, all wearing VIP badges.

"It's great that everyone's going to get to train together for the new tournament. Then we'll get to battle against all our old enemies who have now become friends." Max said.

"Just remember you guys, though the new tournament is friendly, we should still train hard." Kenny lectured, always cautious.

"I can't wait to see everyone again." Hillary said. "It's going to be great. I just hope the old BEGA team get on with everyone."

The previous BEGA team had now joined the BBA after Boris' organisation had been shut down and the five of them had realised they were working for a man with nothing but evil intentions.

The others teams that had helped the G revolutions to win had returned home for the past week and were returning to Japan today. There was friendly tournament starting soon to celebrate the BBA's re-opening.

But the biggest change of all was the ex-BEGA team joining what had been their previous enemies.

Garland stared out the window of the limousine his team were currently travelling in. In the seat next to him was a happily smiling and changed, for the better, Brooklyn who was stroking the small white mouse on his shoulder.

A small smile spread across the team captain's face. He was glad to see Brooklyn finally free of his fear of loosing.

Opposite the two of them sat Ming-Ming. On her aqua hair was a white fluffy designer cap with matching boots, leather white skirt and jacket, over a pale blue low cut top.

Jumping up and down beside her was the platinum blonde Mystel. As usual he couldn't sit still and hopped in his seat.

Behind himself and Brooklyn was Crusher, also gazing out of the window. The small doll his sister made was peeking out his pocket.

As the sleek black car pulled up outside the BBA, all five bladers looked up, unbuckling their seat belts and climbing out.

They stood on the concrete ground as the car pulled away. Cameras instantly turning and flashing at them.

Ming-Ming instantly flaunted herself in front of the cameras, smiling and poising. Unlike the others who stayed in the background.

After pushing their way through the mob of reporters, they saw Tyson and a few of the other teams standing up front.

Said world champion turned and saw them approaching. "Hey guys!" he shouted loudly, waving madly.

Garland led the group up to them. "Hello, Tyson." He greeted, shaking hands with the Japanese boy.

"H-Hiya, M-Ming-Ming." Kenny stuttered, sidling up to the singer.

Blinking at the sound of her name, she turned and gave Kenny a smile which resulted in the brunette blushing furiously.

The other teams were crowded behind Tyson, all looking at the BEGA team curiously. The world champ seemed kind and willing to forget the past, but a fair few of the others had their doubts.

From the other side of the large field outside, ice blue eyes flashed with anger. Hands closed into fists, biceps tensed under the white bandages that covered the majority of his body. The parts not covered, littered with cuts and bruises. All because of that one figure his eyes were now fixed upon…

_Garland_.

"Tala?" Bryan spoke up next to him. "Are you alright? We can go back inside if you want. You are supposed to be resting."

Tala shook his head, not looking away from the tall blader who had represented the man he hated.

The opening ceremony was over within an hour and all the announcements about the friendly tournament made. Tyson cut the ribbon and cheers erupted from the crowd as the BBA was officially back up and running.

Afterwards most of the professional bladers were standing around chatting.

Tyson noticed the BEGA team standing to the side and waved to them. He felt sorry for them being left out. "Hey guys! Come join in."

The five of them glanced at each other before joining the large group.

Brooklyn had soon very shyly joined in a conversation with the girls, calling a few birds to him as a few of the female bladers complimented on how sensitive he was.

Crusher was having a small conversation with Ray about how his sister, Monica, had been getting on. The two already seemed to be good friends.

Hillary was glaring as Ming-Ming talked to Kenny and making him blush a lot.

Mystel was talking to the White Tiger X about how much he had liked their hometown.

Garland stood at the side, no one talking to him. Tyson smiled and asked him an occasional question, but the most never said a word to him.

He looked around at his teammates. "What are they doing that I'm not?" he muttered to himself. He looked up as he saw a couple of the girls glance at him before whispering to each other. He listened in on the conversation, only catching a few words.

…Battle… vicious… cold-hearted… mean… how could he…?

Garland listened harder, but the next word was all he needed to understand.

…_Tala…_

Was everyone excluding him just because he beat that ex-student of Boris'? He had heard that Tala had been rushed to hospital and ended up in a coma. But he was awake now, so what was everyone's problem?

As it got darker, everyone trailed inside.

As everyone approached the dinner hall, Garland stayed at the back, no one talking to him. The door closed behind Ming-Ming who was standing in front of him as he stopped and azure eyes fixed on a lone figure leaning against the wall down a side corridor.

Gritting his teeth he turned on his heel, approaching the thin form.

Tala sighed, leaning back against the wall, closing his eyes briefly.

"Hey."

Ice blue orbs flew open as a voice addressed him, eyes instantly narrowing as he saw who was standing before him. "What do _you _want?" He growled.

"To warn you." Garland replied casually.

Tala looked at him suspiciously. A dreaded feeling rising within him. Boris had gotten out of jail once, who said he could not do it again. "About what?"

Garland moved so fast even Tala's quick reactions had no time to dodge. Before he knew it Garland's hand was round his throat and he was slammed back against the wall.

The former BEGA captain held him tightly, eyes burning. "I'm only warning you once. So you'd better act fast."

"…What?" Tala choked out. Normally he would have possessed the strength to throw Garland off of him, his abbey training came in useful sometimes, but in his still recovering state after what the same blader now holding him did to him, he was helpless.

"You know what." Garland withdrew slightly, before shoving him back again. "I'm being rejected here. Everyone's looking at me like I'm evil and it's all because of _you_."

Tala grabbed the teen's wrists, trying to pry him off. "I haven't… done any-thing." He struggled to speak as the hand around his throat tightened. "You're acting… crazy."

"I'm being nice enough to give you a warning. But if you cross me, I'm going to get you."

Tala fought against him, trying to get his hands off of his throat before he choked. "You're as bad as Boris."

Garland's grip tightened. "You know what, I preferred working for Boris. He gave me everything I could ever want. And best of all, you weren't there to turn people against me."

Tala looked at him as if he was insane. "How can you enjoy being brainwashed?"

Garland moved his other hand to grab Tala's wrist, examining the cuts and bruises. A sick smirk came onto his features. "I've hurt you badly once, Tala." He stared into the ice blue irises. "I can do it again."

"Why did you let Boris influence you?" Tala growled, gritting his teeth at the pressure Garland was putting on his wounds. "Your under his control."

"This isn't about Boris." Garland seethed, twisting Tala's arm. "This is your only warning. If you don't stop playing the sympathy act and making people think the worst of me, I'll take it out on you."

"I can't help what everyone else… thinks."

Garland slammed him again. "Well your going to have to. Either improve my reputation or… well, you'll just have to wait and see. You haven't seen what I can do yet." He released Tala.

The Russian was completely unprepared and fell back against the wall, breathing heavily.

"This was only a taster. I'm not sure you'll want the main course." With that he turned away, leaving Tala on the floor, rubbing his neck.

The Japanese athlete made his way into the dining room, sitting beside Brooklyn. He glanced over at the table where Bryan, Spencer and strangely Kai, were sitting. They were talking to each other quietly, looking concerned.

Turning his attention back to the boy next to him, he saw Brooklyn's little white mouse peeping out of his pocket.

He looked back to the Blitzkrieg boys' table just in time to see Kai get up and leave the room, Bryan and Spencer staring after him.

A frown crossed his tanned face as he realized he should have made sure Tala wouldn't tell anyone what he did. But if the Russian knew what was good for him, he would keep quiet.

He was surprised at himself as he didn't feel the slightest bit guilty. Maybe threatening him like that was a bit too far, but it felt good, like he had all the power. He'd known he had Tala at his mercy. And why shouldn't he? He was being shunned, all because of the red head that everyone felt sorry for. Why should Tala get all the sympathy? He didn't have to go through with that battle, he could have backed down. But he had to try and prove he was better, so it was his own fault.

A few minutes later Kai came back and said something to the two Blitzkrieg boys. Then they all left.

Garland's eyes narrowed. If Tala had told anyone, he would make him pay.

**Please review and tell me what you think! The more reviews, the sooner you get the next chapter! So if you like it, you know what to do. **


	2. Rumours

**Acceptance**

** By EpitomeOfMisery**

** Chapter II: Rumours**

"What's the matter, Tala? Why didn't you want to go the dining hall with everyone else? I know they're all geeks, but you don't have to avoid them." Bryan said, sitting beside Tala.

The red head stared at the floor. "I just didn't, okay?"

"Why?" Bryan persisted.

"Because, I just didn't feel like it." Tala snapped, not looking up.

Bryan looked him over. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Tala mumbled.

Kai looked up from his position against the wall, his sharp crimson eyes studying their captain. His gaze stopped on something under Tala's collar. There were bruises, just like the rest of his body, but these looked fresh. Kai frowned but decided not to mention it. He never accused or presumed without being certain of his facts.

"Is everything alright, Tala?" Spencer spoke up.

"I said I'm fine. Stop fussing over me." He said. He knew he should probably tell them, but as much as he hated to admit it, Garland had scared him. He subconsciously brought a hand to his neck, he'd seen the bruises in the mirror. He wanted to tell, he wanted help, but he was also scared of getting hurt. It was like Boris was here all over again, in another form. Had the man really influenced Garland that strongly? The other members of the BEGA team had come to their senses and realised he had evil intentions, but Garland seemed to still be loyal to the former BEGA president.

In another room in the BBA building, Garland sat staring out the window, the book of Siebolt family principals open in front of him.

Bored of reading through his lineage, he stood and left the room, wandering down to the practice room to prepare for the friendly tournament.

As he opened the door to the training room he saw that it was empty, apart from Kai.

The slate haired youth stood before a classic beydish, his blade darting quickly around the smooth surface. He stood with his arms folded, eyes closed. Despite the fact that he did not move, he was fully aware that he was no longer alone, and of who had joined him.

Catching Dranzer as it flew out of the dish, Kai stepped off the platform, passing Garland on his way.

The taller teen looked at him as he passed, his eyes narrowed as Kai stared at him, hawk eyed. If Tala had told Kai, he would make him regret it.

A while after Kai left, Garland was still training on his own. The door opened suddenly and he turned to see who it was.

Tala looked up and quickly turned to go back out the door.

"Don't move." Garland hissed, walking up behind the Russian.

Tala froze in the doorway, trying to keep his composure.

Garland stopped behind him. "You wouldn't say anything to anyone about me, would you, Tala? Apart from telling them that I'm a nice guy who didn't do anything to you and that you forgive me completely for our little battle."

Tala didn't speak, didn't move.

Garland moved to stand beside him. "Because if you did tell someone anything about me, you'd know that you would pay for it later on. Wouldn't you?"

Tala nodded, his hand once again moving to his neck.

"So." Garland began, grabbing his shirt. "You won't say a word, will you, Tala?" He demanded, shaking the Russian. "_Will you?!" _

"Let go of me." Tala murmured, moving to try and pry Garland off but then hesitating.

"Answer me!" Garland ordered.

Tala's eyes widened. "No, I won't say a thing." He said quickly.

"Good." Garland smirked as he shoved Tala backwards.

The red head moaned as he hit the floor, putting his hands back to support himself before he fell flat on his back.

Garland turned and left the room, closing the door after him.

Tala stood uneasily, straightening out his clothes. He waited a few minutes before leaving the room himself and continuing his search for Kai.

He walked a few paces down the corridor before a voice spoke up behind him.

"Tala."

He jumped, thinking it was Garland. He turned around only to see Kai.

The younger Russian raised an eyebrow at him. "Paranoid?"

Tala gave him a half-hearted glare.

Kai looked him over. "So, what's got you on such high alert?" He asked.

"Nothing." Tala replied, not looking at him.

"Hn." Kai said, continuing down the corridor, Tala a few paces behind.

Both walked in silence, stopping at the elevator. Kai pressed the button and soon the metal doors slid open. They both stepped in, standing still as the lift rose, stopping only one floor up.

The doors opened again and Tala's breath caught as Garland stepped in, smirking at him.

"Hey." The sickening voice drawled.

Kai gave an 'hn.' In response, closing his eyes.

Tala stayed back against the wall, standing close to Kai for protection.

Garland leaned calmly against the opposite wall, that smirk forever lining his features. His eyes were fixed on Tala's.

The Russian couldn't draw his gaze away. He was frozen out of fear. Being in a small, enclosed space with this maniac was probably bottom of his list on what he wanted to do today.

Garland looked away as Kai's eyes opened. He wanted to unnerve Tala as much as possible, but he didn't want Kai to find out.

Tala kept his eyes fixed on the tall figure. He knew that if Kai wasn't there, he'd probably be being held back against the wall again.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator came to a stop, dinging to signal the arrival at the fourth floor. The metal doors slid open and Tala stepped out instantly.

Garland strolled past him, eyes trailing over his body.

Tala stared as he walked down the corridor, only relaxing when he had turned the corner.

Kai was watching him the entire time.

Garland unlocked the door to his team's room, surprised to find it filled with lively chatter.

Mystel and the White Tiger X team sat around the coffee table, absorbed in conversation. Brooklyn sat by the window, where he had sat earlier that day, feeding his little mouse.

"Hey Garland." Mystel greeted, giving his teammate a brief wave.

Garland nodded in response, frowning as the White Tiger X team looked at him cautiously, before going back to their discussion.

Mystel blinked at his new friends attitude towards his captain, but shrugged it off and joined back in the conversation.

The Neko-Jin team obviously didn't have a high opinion of him. Everyone was on the side of that weak, pathetic Russian and Garland was not happy. It wasn't his fault that he won and Tala lost.

Why was everyone on the side of such a pathetic blader? **(A/N: Tala is so _not _pathetic. This is just Garland's opinion :P)**

A while later the Chinese team left and Mystel bounded up to him.

"I love it here." Mystel said. "Everyone is so nice and our blading skills aren't used to do what's morally wrong, unlike with Boris."

"It wasn't all bad." Garland replied.

Brooklyn looked up from the window. "Maybe not. But it is so beautiful here. And we are allowed animals." The prodigy said, gazing out the window. He never used the word 'pets' because he felt it was wrong to keep animals caged or restricted.

"Who cares about the scenery." Garland said. "What we should focus on is our blading skills."

"Your too serious." Mystel whined, stretching. "Take a break once in a while."

Brooklyn nodded in agreement, smiling slightly.

Garland glared at them both, sitting down and opening his book (don't need to tell you what book).

Mystel jumped onto the back of the sofa. "But it really is good here, don't you think? All of the other bladers are really nice. And the guy in charge, Mr Dickenson, he lets me go wherever I want."

"Boris was nice too." Garland muttered.

"Kind of. But he always made sure we were back by a certain time and we had all these boring practice schedules." Mystel said, reading over Garland's shoulder. "Haven't you already read that like fifty times by now?"

Garland shrugged. "I want to know it all by heart."

"See what I mean, too serious!"

Garland gave him an annoyed glance, before looking back to his book.

"But don't you think everyone is so friendly?" Mystel continued to pester. "I mean, we were the enemy before and now we've all become friends. I especially like the White Tiger X team, and they seem to like us too. Well, they weren't too sure about you…" Mystel trailed off.

Garland looked up. "_What_ about me?"

"Well…" Mystel started, taking off his mask and putting it under his shirt. "You know everyone's kind of a little disturbed about you."

"Why?" Garland growled.

"Well, cause you really hurt that captain of the Blitzkrieg boys in that beyblade match. So like, everyone thinks you're a bit like Boris." Mystel cast a wary glance at the taller blader. "I don't think you are, just that's what I've heard a few people say."

Garland closed his book, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Mystel questioned.

"Out." Garland said vaguely, leaving the room.

Both Mystel and Brooklyn stared at the door after it had closed.

"Maybe you shouldn't have told him that." Brooklyn said, letting the mouse run down his arm and onto the window seat.

"I was only saying what everyone else has said." Mystel defended, flipping backwards off the sofa.

Brooklyn shrugged, looking out the window longingly.

Garland strolled down the corridor, staring at the floor angrily. He looked up, just in time to see Kai, Bryan and Spencer leave their room and walk the opposite way up the corridor.

If they were gone. That means Tala was there alone, with no witnesses.

Maybe it was time for him to pay a little visit.

**Reviews make me update:P**


	3. Hurt in more ways than one

I decided to write another chapter before updating my other fics for all the nice people who reviewed throws cookies to nice reviewers Remember, reviews make me happy and when I'm happy I update. :P  Oh, and someone reviewed saying they wished there was no romance in this story… I think you may have misunderstood something, because this story is non-yaoi. And there has been no mention of romance so far, nor will there ever be.

**Acceptance **

** By EpitomeOfMisery**

**Chapter III: Hurt in more ways than one**

Garland stopped outside the Blitzkrieg boys' hotel room door. His hand rose to the wood and knocked softly.

He waited. No answer.

He knocked again. Waited. Still no answer.

The others had left, but Tala had not been with them. But maybe he had gone ahead.

Garland walked away, deciding to drag out his revenge.

On the other side of the door, Tala fell back against the wall. He had a bad feeling, which told him not to open the door. He knew it was Garland, something within told him.

He sighed, walking back into the room and lying down on his bed, soon drifting into a troubled sleep.

Garland opened the door to the research room of the new BBA building. He had some serious researching to do.

He frowned at the few cautious looks sent his way, but ignored them and sat at the computer. He typed in the name 'Boris Balkov.'

Several pages came up about BEGA and his own team, but there were a few others, newspaper reports from Russia.

As he continued to search, he soon discovered why Boris had such a bad reputation. But in a way, he could see what had possessed the man. The over-whelming power. It was how he felt when he was pushing Tala around. The sheer thrill was enough to make you continue and have no regrets.

Everyone thought of Boris as sick and twisted, but Garland saw him in a different light, the man was powerful and had great leadership skills, he had so much control. Garland saw him as a revolutionary leader who had the power to change the world.

But Garland wasn't interested in controlling the world, only one certain red haired Russian.

The infamous sick smirk came to his features as he came across something that would help him a lot.

All he had to do now was find his target.

Tala bolted upright, gasping.

_Another nightmare, just another dream. _He told himself, brushing his hair back.

The room was still empty as the others weren't back. He sighed, he wished there was someone there to keep him company. He knew he should have gone with them.

Slipping off the bed, he stepped up to the mirror, examining the bruises around his neck. They were a reminder that Garland meant what he said. He didn't know what to do, he couldn't avoid him forever. Maybe just long enough to get some of his strength back to fight him.

But the blader had been under Boris' command, who knew what he had been taught to do. Garland was almost like Boris in another form.

He thought back to his wretched past, the memories that haunted his sleep and tormented him. He didn't want to remember, but he couldn't forget.

There was always some reminder, somewhere in his life.

He grabbed his blade and launcher, though he knew he wasn't supposed to get into anything to energetic, like Beyblading. He opened the door, leaving the room. But as he turned to walk down the corridor, he was shoved back against the door.

Blue eyes stared into his with a psychotic gleam, that sick smirk forever lining his features.

"What do you want from me?" Tala growled out, staying still as he knew resisting was futile.

"You know what I want. For you to fix what is your fault. Set my reputation straight, or else!" Garland hissed, his gaze fixed on Tala's petrified expression. His smirk grew wider.

"I've told you. It's not my fault!"

Garland just looked at him with an intimidating expression for a moment. "Oh, but Tala, I think you'll find it is. And I don't think you want to risk finding out what I can do to you. What's the matter, am I getting to you, cyborg?"

Tala's eyes widened as the most horrid memories of his childhood flashed back at him. "What did you call me?" He said, voice barely a whisper.

Garland released him. "Oh nothing. Just a little name for those different from human kind." His gaze locked on Tala, as if looking into his soul and picking out the weak points.

Tala's hands closed into fists. "I am human." He hissed. His expression was wary and fear shone in his eyes.

"_Were _human. I must say, I do find Boris' experiments fascinating. Who knew such a flawless plan could go so wrong to produce something so… pathetic."

"You're sick." Tala whispered. "You have the same manipulating and horribly scheming mind as Boris." True fear showed on his face, his expression looked as if he was living a nightmare. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing. I act out of my own will." Garland said casually. "I do however believe he did a lot to you. Tell me, what is it like to not have feelings? To be a machine?"

"I can feel. You're the one with no compassion. Why are you doing this to me? What kind of sick satisfaction do you get from beating up someone you already put in the hospital? Do you feel no remorse? No guilt?" He felt his heart thumping in his chest as his pulse raced. It was like he was standing before Boris, with no way out.

"Why should I feel guilty?" Garland asked innocently, stepping forward on the cream carpet. He stood close to Tala, his breath blowing the two strands of hair that hung over his face, above the bandage around his forehead. "You're only getting what you deserve."

"I haven't done anything!" Tala cried in desperation, wishing he could be somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Oh but you have and you know you have. And you know what to do to fix it. And you're going to do it for me, aren't you, cyborg?"

"I'm human. I'm not the person Boris tried to force me into!" Tala couldn't tear his gaze away from the eyes that stared into his, making him feel vulnerable inside. "I'm not like him."

"But he made you." Garland drawled.

Tala shook his head slowly. "No, no, I have my own life. I'm a human being, not some machine Boris _created_. I was born, not made!"

"Whatever you say." Garland said in a sarcastic, mocking tone. He stepped back, making some space between himself and the Russian. He turned to walk down the hall. "Oh and Tala. You have twenty-four hours. If things aren't changed by then, I think we'll have to have another one of these lovely little chats. But… To discuss some different matters." With that he walked away, not looking back.

Tala stood frozen in fear, slowly his hand moved behind him and grabbed the door handle. He twisted it and spun around, diving back into the room and slamming the door the second he passed over the threshold.

He was shaking in fear. His mind was running in so many different directions. He couldn't focus on anything. He was too confused. He didn't know what to do. What _could _he do?

Nothing. He was helpless.

But as long as he was in here, it was safe. There was a lock on the door and Garland didn't have a key. The only way he could get in was if Tala let him in and he wouldn't do that.

He made a vow to himself. He would ignore any opportunity to leave and stay in their team's room, no matter what. He would stay in the only place that was safe.

He'd rather live in isolation than face his past again.


	4. Suspiscions and Denial

**Acceptance**

** By EpitomeOfMisery**

** Chapter IV: Suspicions and denial**

"Tala?" Kai whispered, leaning over the sleeping boy.

The said Russian turned over in his sleep, gripping the covers tightly. A quiet whimper escaped him, his body shaking.

Kai's eyes narrowed as he screamed in his sleep.

"No… please… don't… why are you doing this?" His face contorted in fear, his breathing ragged. "No stop it… please… I haven't done anything… It's not my fault… I… I…"

"Tala. Tala! Wake up!" Kai shook him slightly. "Tala, come on!"

Tala gripped Kai's arm, trying to pry him off, thinking him a threat, but Kai held on tight. "No, please… Don't…"

Kai shook him harder. "Tala. Come on, wake up!"

"No, I'll do whatever you want…. Just don't…"Ice blue eyes flew open as he bolted up right, crying out. "Don't hurt me again, Garland!"

Kai took him by the shoulders, turning the older to look at him.

Tala snapped out of his trance, focusing back on reality. "Kai….?" He whispered tiredly.

Kai gave no conformation. His eyes stared into the blue irises the way Garland had done, but not in the intimidating way that scared the red head so badly.

Tala blinked at him, his mind slowly regaining focus. "Kai… what…?"

"You were screaming in your sleep." Kai stated.

Tala pushed himself away from his teammate, looking to the side. "It was just a nightmare, Kai. I've seen you have them. We all do."

Crimson orbs narrowed. "I know. But the rest of us don't scream out; 'don't hurt me again, Garland.'"

Tala swallowed hard, his mind working to find some excuse.

"Hn." Kai muttered, stepping back from his captain's bed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Tala said quickly.

Kai turned and glared at him. Forcing him to speak.

"Its nothing, Kai. I-I don't know why I said that." Tala stammered, his heart pounding in his chest.

Kai stared at him with a hawk-eyed expression.

"It's _nothing_." Tala said firmly, though he never met Kai's gaze directly.

"Hn." Kai said simply, turning and lying back on his own bed, facing away from Tala.

"Hello Tala."

Said Russian gasped as he was pinned back against the wall, staring into silvery blue eyes that held a murderous glint.

"I hope you haven't told anyone about our little secret." The smooth voice drawled. "Because I don't think I need to remind you of what will happen if you have, do I?"

"I haven't said anything to anyone. I swear." Tala cried quickly. He knew he shouldn't have left the room. He'd only gone out to go down to room where the beyblade parts were kept.

But Garland seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Good boy." The blader whispered harshly, enjoying the look of fear on the red head's face. "Do you think I should give you a reminder of what will happen if you so much as breathe a word?"

Ice blue eyes widened in fear, a look of sheer panic on his features. "No. Please."

The familiar sick smirk came onto his face. "Well, you see, robot-boy. My situation around here doesn't seem to be improving." The smirk dropped as his eyes flashed to glare superiorly. "I am still rejected and treated like a criminal. All. Thanks. To. _You_."

"I've told you, it's not my fault." Tala was frozen in fear, unable to move. "Don't do this to me."

"If a person has done wrong, than they need to be punished. So this is your punishment time." Garland hissed. "And you will keep getting punished until you have learnt your lesson."

Tala had no time to think before Garland's leg swept round and tripped him up as he fell back against the wall. The contact was brief though as he was grabbed by the shirt and pulled forward before being shoved back into the wall. Garland picked him up by the material of his jacket, forcing him to stand.

"Tala?"

Both boys turned to where the voice came from. Kai stood a few feet down the corridor, eyes narrowed.

Garland quickly dropped Tala, giving him a warning glare before smiling at Kai.

The slate haired youth had been so silent in his approach that neither of them knew how long he had been standing there. Or how much he had seen.

"What's going on?" Kai demanded. Crimson eyes moving from Garland to Tala.

"Nothing, Kai. Tala and I were just having a little chat." Garland said casually, his composure not slipping in the slightest.

Kai's harsh gaze turned to his captain.

Tala wouldn't quite meet his eyes. "Nothing's happening, Kai. Like Garland said, we were just… talking."

Kai forced Tala to look at him, staring into his eyes and forcing their gazes to lock. The blue orbs were desperate, silently begging him to leave it at that and not take it any further. But underneath there was a hidden feeling that Kai sensed. Tala was secretly pleading with him to stay. Once he was alone again, Garland would do something. Something that he didn't want anyone else to see.

"Hn." Kai said, walking on without looking back.

Tala stared after him, unsure of how to feel. But he had no time to contemplate as he was grabbed from behind.

"Keep your little friends out of our business." Garland growled, whirling Tala around to stare straight into his face. "Though I'm surprised you have friends, being the scheming, manipulating little cyborg that you are."

His fist came in contact Tala's face, a trickle of blood leaking out of his mouth. He shoved Tala repeatedly against the wall, yelling insults every time.

Tala took the pain in silence, knowing resisting would be useless. He was weakened and Garland was stronger than him. He was helpless.

He had been trained to take pain in the abbey and he had been in situations like this so many times. Being hurt for someone else's amusement.

As Garland grabbed his neck and swung his leg up to kick him in the side, Tala's vision blurred and the image of Garland vanished. The walls faded away to stone, along with the floor. The room became cold and behind his attackers back were the black bars to the cell.

And standing before him, with one hand around his neck was Boris. Smirking superiorly.

From around the corner, a figure watched the entire scene. Making sure to stay in the shadows.

Tala was thrown roughly onto the floor before Garland kicked him.

His eyes narrowed and he gave a quiet 'hn.' he now had the evidence he had needed before making judgement.

Because Kai Hiwatari would never make a move before being sure of his facts.

And now he was sure.


	5. Garland, the blade stops here

**Acceptance**

** By EpitomeOfMisery**

**Chapter V: Garland, the blade stops here**

Kai on the windowsill, the breeze from the open window beside him blowing the strands of slate coloured hair into his face.

His own bed beside the window was empty, as were the two up the other end of the room.

"So what's this about, Kai?" Bryan demanded, sitting on the headboard of his own bed. Spencer stood beside him.

Crimson eyes opened and scanned the room, stopping on the last member of their team who lay in the bed in between Kai's and Bryan's. "Tala." Kai said shortly.

"Huh?" The two oldest exclaimed simultaneously.

Kai's eyes didn't move from their captain's form. His eyes narrowed, burning with a fiery power that only the wielder of the phoenix possessed.

"Cut the suspense, Kai, what's this about?" Bryan snapped.

He finally raised his head to look at the two of them. "Haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed _what_?" Bryan was getting sick of Kai's mysterious attitude.

"The marks on him. All over. The bruises and cuts." Kai's eyes once again fell onto the boy in the bed.

Both Bryan and Spencer were giving him confused looks.

"Kai, they're from the battle with Garland. The one that put him in a coma." Spencer said slowly.

Kai's shook his head. "I know. But what about the fresh bruises?"

"What?" Bryan exclaimed, jumping onto the floor.

Kai also slid off of the windowsill. He walked gracefully around his own bed, leaning over the red head. "Look." He moved Tala's hand off of his neck, revealing the dark marks that lined his pale skin.

The two oldest members of the Blitzkrieg boys stared with wide eyes as Kai showed them the rest of the scars he had noticed. They were all obviously fresh and brutal.

"How did he get these? They don't look like self-harm." Bryan said, muttering the last part.

Kai gritted his teeth, eyes flashing dangerously. "Garland." He hissed.

The other two looked up at him.

"Garland's been beating him. I've seen it."

"And you didn't stop him?" Bryan stepped forward angrily.

Kai's fists clenched.

"Why didn't Tala tell us?" Spencer asked, concerned.

"The same reason I didn't stop him. Garland threatened him. He said if he told he'd get him even more. If I had stopped it, Garland would have thought Tala had told and beaten him again."

Bryan's anger lessened. "How long has this been going on?"

"I'm not sure. But probably since we all arrived here."

"I hate that guy!" Bryan growled, slamming his fist into the wall.

"**нет пожалуйста не делайте_" _**

They all turned to where the sound came from.

"**нет" **Tala continued to mumble in Russian, completely oblivious to the others' watching him as he slept. **"никакая Гирлянда не делает" **

All three became angry as their teammate cried out in his sleep. They of course knew what Tala had said: _No Garland don't. _

Bryan sat on the bed beside Tala. **"это хорошо" **He whispered, telling him it was okay. **"мы получим того парня" **

Kai nodded, agreeing to what Bryan had just said about them getting Garland.

As the sun rose in the sky as it approached eight o' clock, a familiar silver haired blader headed down the corridor toward the training room.

Mariah and Hillary stood outside the training room door, talking and laughing with each other. They both looked up to see the older boy approaching, a flicker of insecurity passing both their faces, the hastily stepped back and out of his way, casting weary glances at the former BEGA captain.

Their reaction did not go unnoticed by the youngest Siebolt, who frowned at them in annoyance as he entered the training room.

The two girls walked away, Mariah muttering to her companion: "He's just as bad as Boris."

Meanwhile in the room of our four favourite Russians, Kai was, unlike most days, actually present in the room instead of wandering out somewhere to train quietly with Dranzer.

This particular morning, like his two oldest teammates, was too concerned with watching Tala's every move to worry about anything else.

"What?" Tala snapped for the fifth time that morning after noticing how Bryan was staring at him.

"Nothing." The older Russian muttered quickly, looking away.

Tala moved his gaze to look at Kai, who was also staring at him. The red head gave him a sharp glare.

"Hn." Kai said, closing his eyes and leaning back on the sofa.

Apollon spun swiftly around the dish, avoiding the obstacles with impressive accuracy.

It's master stood above the dish, blue eyes following the blades movements.

The door opened behind him and light footfalls were heard as someone entered.

Garland turned his head to look over his shoulder, long ponytail flicking to the side.

The newly arrived world champion gave him a broad smile. "Hey, Garland. How are you, buddy?"

A small smile crept onto the tanned face. "Okay I guess. Your having a good time as usual, I suppose, Tyson?"

The Japanese boy's smile widened. "You bet. I love it here. It's great having everyone together." He adjusted his cap slightly over the bush of navy hair. "So, are you guys fitting okay here? You know as you were kind of the enemy before."

Garland's small smile dropped and the usual serious expression fell onto his face. "Crusher, Mystel, Ming-Ming and Brooklyn have settled in fine." He said tactfully.

"Great." Tyson grinned. "You know there's no hard feelings from me and everyone else, hey bud? Though I know a fair few seem to be on Tala's side, it'll all blow over."

Garland's expression darkened. "What do you mean: _'Tala's side'_?" The sharp voice could have cut through steel.

Tyson flashed him another innocent smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Well you know that battle was, well, kind of brutal. I mean a lot of people were looking upon you as the bad guys and all. You were just following Boris' orders, right? But it's still wrong to attack the blader in a battle."

Garland raised an eyebrow at the world champion, his blade grinding to a stop beside him.

"Well anyway." Tyson began. "I really should be going, I was just looking for Daichi. See you around, pal." His voice faded out as the door closed.

"Yeah, sure." Garland mumbled to the empty room. His eyes narrowed into slits as his anger boiled. Mind set on taking his revenge on one certain Russian team captain.

"Do you even have a plan?" Bryan seethed, glaring at the younger Russian.

"Hn." Kai replied. "Of course. A brutal act of recklessness leads to failure. Everything falls apart without proper organisation."

"So what is this genius plan of yours?" Bryan snapped impatiently, crossing one leg over the other as he leant back against the wall.

"Simple. We wait." Kai said, closing his eyes.

"_And?_" Bryan persisted, cutting in before Spencer could speak.

"And nothing." The calm and collected voice said.

"That's ridiculous, Kai. Wait? For how long? We should do something now? You want us to wait until Garland gets him again? Until Tala gets hurt? Till Garland puts him back in the hospital?"

"I won't let that happen." Kai said, a small touch of anger and determination to his voice. "Just trust me. Let Garland make the first move and then we step in."

"You better be right, Kai." Bryan snapped. "I will not let that clone of Boris hurt Tala again."

Kai's eyes opened and narrowed as he thought, _neither will I. _

**A/N: Review and I will update:D The more reviews the quicker the update. **


	6. Close to danger

**Acceptance**

** By EpitomeOfMisery**

** Chapter VI: Close to danger**

The chatter in the large hall died down as Mr Dickenson stepped onto the stage. Everyone turned to face the chairman questionably.

"Good morning, everyone. By now I am sure you have all settled into our new accommodation here and I am please to have been informed that you are all getting on fine." The old man spoke to his audience, giving them all a broad smile. "Now I'm sure you are wondering what this meeting is about. Well, I'll get straight to the point."

The audience of the world-class bladers waited eagerly to hear the announcement that they had all been called to the meeting hall for the soul purpose of hearing.

"Everyone is mixing nicely. But we still feel that you all seem to still stick to your teams, which is only natural as these are the people you have know the longest. But in the teamwork spirit of the BBA, we had decided that it would be a good idea for you to all learn to work together with people not necessarily from your team. Therefore, we have decided to create mixed teams through a random selection process." He stopped to look over the audience, who had all begun talking amongst themselves.

A red-gloved hand went up in the audience. "Excuse me, Mr Dickenson, sir." Ray spoke up. "But how will this 'random selection' as you called it be done?"

"Good question, Ray." The chairman smiled. "Well, as was done in the previous championships to decide match-ups, we will simply use a random selection generator to pick out names at a fair and random choice."

Another wave of murmurs swept over the group as everyone discussed the situation.

A large screen lit up behind the chairman's head. Listed on it were the names of every blader present in the room, currently grouped in their teams.

"We will now pick out the first team." Mr Dickenson said.

The lights flashed over the names, gradually slowing down until only five names were highlighted.

"Alright." Mr Dickenson said cheerily. "Could Max, Mystel, Spencer and Mathilda please come and stand up here. You are team one."

The five bladers obeyed, forming a line up on the stage.

The flashing over names was repeated until once again only five names remained in a glow.

"Team two. Lee, Rick, Claude and Mariah." Mr Dickenson read out, calling the teenagers up to the stage.

The same sequence was carried out yet again.

"Team three. Julia, Tyson, Gary and Kevin."

The grouping continued further.

"Team four. Emily, Hillary, Eddy and Brooklyn." Mr Dickenson turned back and watched the screen yet again. "Team five. Raul, Aaron, Michael and Miguel."

There were now only a few left in the audience as the final team was read out.

"And finally, team six. Kai, Ray, Tala and Garland."

Everyone began chatting loudly as the groupings were finished. But to one Russian the noises of the room were blocked out. Even the scene around him blurred as his vision clouded, a sharp shiver travelling down his spine, almost mockingly. He could hear nothing but the ringing in his ears that grew louder and louder with each passing second. Reality seemed to pause. A reality that he did not want to be real. But it was a real and cruel reality that laughed at him.

"Tala. Tala."

He tried to refocus as someone called him. He recognized the voice as Kai's, managing to turn in the direction of where he knew his team mate was seated.

Kai frowned at the dazed look on his comrade's face. He could sense his fear as his sharp eyes picked up on the way the boy was shaking slightly. "Tala, come on." He said, forcing Tala to follow him up to the stage and join the line for the sixth team.

Standing behind Kai in the short line, he heard nothing of what was now being said. His head swam in a dizzying darkness, similar to the feeling before he passed out after that brutal match that he did not want to remember. The room around him was like a blurred dream world. Nothing looked real or in focus.

Nothing but the figure of one tall, tanned blader that seemed to freeze him in place. Unable to move as the walls closed in around them and he was left. Vulnerable. Nowhere was safe now.

Ten more minutes passed as everything was explained to the eager teens. Yet Tala heard none of it.

Kai zoned out of listening and turned his attention to the boy next to him who, rather worryingly, had his gaze transfixed on Garland.

Said blader turned to look over his shoulder and smirk superiorly at the red haired Russian, intimidating him.

Kai's eyes flashed angrily. He unconsciously shifted slightly to protectively stand in Garland's line of vision of the Russian.

After a short conclusion of the change to teams, they all left to go pack and then regroup to go to their assigned rooms.

Garland led the way, opening the door to allow the four of them access to the room.

The room was fairly basic. Set out with four beds against the far wall, a small kitchen to the side, a living room with a sofa and two arm chairs around a television, and a side door leading to the bathroom.

Kai stalked past the others, claming the bed on the far left. Dumping his bag on top of the covers.

Tala followed his team mate, placing his stuff on the bed next to Kai's.

Unfortunately, Garland claimed the bed the other side of Tala, before Ray could, leaving the Chinese boy to have the bed on the far right.

Kai glanced up and saw the lay out, narrowing his eyes at Garland. "Tala." He spoke up, eyes stopping on the boy who was anxiously looking at Garland from the corner of his eyes. "I don't want the morning light shining on me from the window. Swap beds with me."

Tala nodded hurriedly. Silently thanking his team mate, though he found it strange as Kai had never minded sleeping next to a window before. In fact he seemed to like it.

Garland glared stealthily at Kai, who pretended he didn't notice and continued to unpack.

The four of them spent the remainder of the evening hanging around their room until they decided to retire for the day.

After Ray switched out the light, the room was plunged into darkness and silence.

The Chinese blader feel asleep first, surprisingly followed by the slate haired Russian up the other end of the room.

Tala lay awake, not daring to sleep. Though probably unable to even if he wanted to. He knew Garland was watching him, though he faced the other way.

"Isn't this great, Tala?" The voice hissed behind him. "All of us in this room together. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run."

Tala didn't dare to move as he sensed movement behind him.

"You know, robot boy." The voice was dangerously close to his ear. "I was so glad when we got put together. I don't think there's anyone else I would have rather been put with. This way, we get to have more of our _little chats_ without me having to wait until you emerge from your little sanctuary that was previously your team's room."

"Kai's here." Tala whispered desperately. "Ray's here. You'll be caught sooner or later." His voice wasn't strong like he hoped it would be. It just sounded as if he was desperately trying to convince himself.

"There's no one watching now." Garland hissed, snaking his arm in a sharp movement and latching his hand onto Tala's throat.

"Your crazy." Tala choked. "You're going to kill me."

Garland gave a sick and sadistic laugh. "My, my, Tala. Do you really think I would let you off so easy?" He tightened his grip. "You turn everyone against me. _I _make you feel the physical pain of everyone shunning me."

"I told you." He could manage no more than a whisper. "I haven't done anything. It's not my fault. It's not."

Garland grabbed hold of Tala's right arm, which was desperately trying to pry him off of his throat. "Look I'm warning you, now. You can stop this. All you have to do is what I told you in the first place." He glared hard at the Russian on the bed as he stood over him. "You fix my _broken_ reputation or I _break_ you arm." He threatened, twisting his arm to show he meant it. "Understand?" He growled.

Tala nodded, shaking in fear. He urgently tried to stop the tears from leaking out of his eyes, he couldn't help staring into the eyes of his attacker. The stone cold gaze with the merciless glint that he had seen in Boris' eyes so many times.

"You can't." he whispered. "People will ask questions. You'll be found out."

"I don't think so, cyborg. How will anyone find out? You won't tell, because I won't let you." He smirked.

Tala gritted his teeth, cursing himself for not being stronger. For not standing up to this boy that tormented him. That was it, Garland was a mere boy, not a grown and powerful man like Boris. Yet, he still had power over him.

"No. Garland. You've lost yourself in power. You need help." He begged, trying to convince him.

"The only person that needs help… is _you_." He hissed, releasing the red head and creeping back to his own bed, crawling under the covers as if nothing had happened.

Tala lay on his side, turned away from Garland. He wiped his eyes furiously, refusing to cry. He lay there in the darkness until he sensed that the other boy was asleep, before finally allowing himself to drift off.

Just as his eyes closed, he was sure heard a voice whisper. "He won't get you, Tala. I won't let that happen."

**A/N:** **Another chapter finished. Yay! Garland was SO evil in this chapter. I'm being really cruel to Tala, but it's the whole idea of the fic so… yeah. **


	7. Deals and Plans

**Acceptance**

**By EpitomeOfMisery**

**Chapter VII: Deals and Plans**

The warm rays of sunlight filtered in through the window the next morning. Through the slight gap between the curtains a streak of light cast across the room like a laser.

Crimson eyes fluttered open, instantly alert, as was his natural instinct. He gave the two beds to his right a quick glance before fixing his gaze upon the last bed, watching the Russian as he slept.

Slipping out from under the covers, the phoenix made his way across the room, quickly dressing and preparing for the day ahead.

"Morning, Kai."

The slate haired youth turned to the bed furthest right, watching as the Neko-jin pulled himself out of bed.

Kai didn't reply to the Chinese's greeting, but surprisingly someone else returned the welcome.

"Morning, Ray."

Kai turned, surprised. Garland had somehow got himself out of bed and slipped past him and through to the kitchen. The BEGA captain was not yet dressed, only wearing a loose t-shirt and trousers as he poured coffee.

The mask of indifference soon covered the surprised expression once again as the Russian moved toward Tala's bed, giving the older Blitzkrieg boy a shake, quickly waking him.

Tala rubbed his eyes, casting a quick look at Garland before pulling on his clothes for the day.

After Kai's suggestion, Ray, Tala and the Hiwatari himself headed down to the training centre.

Thankfully for Tala, Garland stayed behind reading up on his family history.

The European sat in silence, flicking through the pages of the book he had learnt so much from. The tanned faced turned to a frown as the ringing of the phone interrupted the peaceful silence.

"Hello," he spoke into the receiver.

"We have a call for Garland Siebolt," A friendly member of the BBA staff said.

"Speaking."

"We'll transfer the call to you. One moment." The friendly assistant informed.

The tall blader stood waiting, twirling the phone cord between his fingers.

The ringing noise on the line stopped and there was a click before the smooth voice of the caller addressed him.

"Ah, my dear captain. So nice to speak to you again."

"DRIGER! GATLING CLAW MAXIMUM!"

"DRANZER! BLAZING GIG TEMPUS ATTACK!"

The two blades collided in the middle of the dish, rebounding off one another in mid-air and landing at opposite sides of the beystadium.

Kai swung out his right arm in a silent command. The blue blade obeyed, swerving round to the right and hitting Driger from behind.

Ray ordered Driger to attack again and the blades ground against each other furiously.

Kai cast his eyes to the side, momentarily looking away from the battle. His gaze instead fixed upon the other Russian in the room. Tala sat on the bench to the side, looking somewhat distracted as he fiddled with the new Wolborg blade, staring at it unseeingly.

_Tala._ The thought crossed his mind with a hint of worry and sadness. Though they did not often act close, they had a strong bond deep down. Despite the cold, callous appearance he showed toward his former captain, he cared. And now, knowing what he knew, he was angry. Angry that someone would hurt Tala. His teammate. No, his friend.

Garland would pay dearly. He would make sure of that.

Personally.

For a moment he couldn't find the words to speak. He was shocked. He had thought that he would never hear from the man again, wasn't he locked up? Garland didn't think it was fully right. To him, the man had seemed an excellent teacher. If it wasn't for him, he would be an unknown.

"H-Hello, sir."

"My dear Garland, so glad you have remembered how to speak to your elders. So my boy, how is the BBA?"

He twisted the phone cord between his fingers, musing over what to say. "Well… it's okay, I guess, on the Beyblading part. But the other members…" he trailed off.

"They do not except my team?"

The youngest Siebolt contemplated whether to point out that they were not really his team anymore, but decided against it. "The others are getting on okay, they've made quite a few friends."

"And you?"

"Err… well, personally… I preferred the BEGA league."

"I am glad to see there is another great mind that can still see the brilliance of the BEGA association. So tell me, Garland, what do you detest about the pitiful BBA? The other members do not except you?"

"Yes." He said before he could stop himself. "Well, everyone keeps looking at me like I'm some murderer or something and-"

"Well it is obvious who is at fault."

"I think so too." Blue eyes narrowed hatefully.

"The boy thinks he has won. My dear Tala, it is such a shame for something that was once so adequate to turn so pitiful."

"So you agree? It's all Tala's fault?"

"Of course. You have done nothing. You need now only to think of revenge. And I can help you with that."

"I'll do whatever you say, Boris."

"Do you think he's okay? I mean, Kai's there's, but that twisted freaks there too."

"Kai will be on guard. Garland won't do anything if he's being watched, Bryan."

"I don't see why we can't just go do to him what _he's_ done to Tala."

"We'll just have to trust Kai."

"How can we though? What if it all goes wrong and Tala ends up back in a coma, how would you feel then, Spencer?"

"Kai won't let that happen."

"Kai's not perfect, as much as he thinks he is, he could slip up." Bryan argued.

"We'll just have to see, won't we?" Spencer replied.

Casting a quick glance at the door, he nodded to himself, satisfied that no one was coming, he sat on the bed covers, the light from the window shining down on him.

He had to admit, Boris was a genius. The plan was perfect, the ultimate revenge. It was simple, really. If he couldn't stop everyone hating him because of Tala, he would just have to make everyone hate Tala instead.

Lifting the pillow, he slid the large, smooth object under, replacing the bedding exactly how it had been.

Now it was only a game of waiting.


	8. Accusations on victims

**A/N: **First of all, thank you for all the reviews from the chapters so far

Secondly I'm sorry about the markers in between scenes, I did actually have lines across but they seemed to have disappeared when I uploaded the chapter, so sorry if anyone got confused between scenes.

**Acceptance**

**By EpitomeOfMisery**

**Chapter VIII: Accusations on victims**

"You are such a pig! That last pork chop was MINE!" Daichi yelled.

Tyson huffed indignantly. "I'm world champ, I need food to keep my strength up!"

"Yeah, you need all the help you can get with that! Just wait till we meet in the stadium, I'll be the best blader in the world!" Daichi beamed.

"Why you little runt! You can't beat me! Never have done and you never will do, so there!" Tyson said triumphantly.

"Guys, please, could you calm down," Kenny pleaded.

"Yes, Tyson, Daichi, stop making a scene," Hillary lectured, walking beside Kenny down the corridor.

Tyson and Daichi both turned away from each other arrogantly.

Kenny sighed, opening the door to allow them to enter the room of the team the genius was currently residing with.

The rest of the team, Raul, Aaron, Michael and Miguel, where not currently in the room.

The others made themselves comfortable around the room, Tyson and Daichi both heading straight for the kitchen, Kenny sat down at the pine wood desk. He went to open his laptop, but it was only at this point that he realised that nothing but plain wood sat before him.

The small boy let out a shriek, his eyes (at least I think he has eyes…somewhere) darting around the room to try and locate his most prized possession.

"Hey Kenny, what's up?" Tyson asked, staring at his friend in surprise at the sudden outburst.

"Oh no, where is it? Where?" The boy replied, not even listening.

"Where's what, Kenny?" Hillary questioned, standing up off of the bed where she had been seated.

"My laptop! Where is it? It was right here when I left!"

"So?" Daichi asked, not understanding. "It was only a boring old computer, who cares?"

"'A boring old computer'?" Kenny cried. "That laptop had all my data on it, EVERYTHING!"

"Okay, calm down, Kenny, we'll find it, it has to be somewhere," Tyson assured, beginning to wander around the room in search of the object that had become a characteristic of his friend.

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Kai and Tala sat beside each other, their movements almost mirroring each other as they both pushed their food around the plate with disinterest.

Opposite the two Russians at the table, Ray and Garland were chatting to each other in a friendly manner. The latter youth glanced away every so often, sending imposing glares at the red head that was trying so hard to ignore him.

Kai looked to his left at Tala, taking in the defeated look in his eyes. He stood up silently, leaving the table and the room.

"Where's he going?" Ray questioned, staring after the Russian when the doors to the lunchroom had closed.

Garland shrugged while Tala did not reply. Though Tala was silently grateful that Ray was still there as well as everyone else in the crowded room.

"Hey Ray!" A voice suddenly called out.

Said Blader turned to see Tyson and Hillary standing at the entrance of the lunchroom waving for him to come over.

Ray chuckled lightly. "Sorry guys, I got to go," he said to the two remaining members of the team. He left his seat and headed over to the Japanese teenagers that had called him.

Tala stared after him, contemplating whether to get up and leave also, but he didn't have time to think before Garland gave him a hard kick under the table.

"Don't even think about leaving," came the harsh hiss from across the table.

"Why? Why should I stay? You can't do anything, the room's full of witnesses," Tala growled back, his usual confidence back in place for the first time in a long time.

A mocking laugh made that confidence drain from him. "Oh Tala, you're so naïve. You're right, yes, I can't do anything now. But later…" he trailed off, not needing to finish, he had already won.

Tala looked around the room desperately, looking for any excuse to leave.

"Hey guys," Ray called, once again approaching a table.

Garland gave him a hard glare, but only when the Neko-jin was not looking.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Kenny's laptop has gone missing and they're searching everyone's room. They don't think we have it, of course, it's just to be safe," Ray informed them. "Do you guys mind coming up to our room for a while."

"Sure Ray," Tala said quickly, practically jumping out of his seat and hurrying after the Neko-jin.

Garland stood up slowly, a smirk of his face. He knew exactly where Kenny's laptop was and he knew who was going to be in trouble very, very soon.

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Ray pushed the pinewood and the door swung open, revealing the tidy room.

"You guys are so much tidier than Tyson and Daichi," Hillary sighed.

"HEY!" Tyson yelled, huffing at the brunette.

"So what do you need us to do, Tyson?" Ray asked, standing in the middle of the floor.

"Nothing much, just show us you haven't got a laptop hidden anywhere," Tyson grinned. "Though this is pretty pointless, we know none of you guys would do something like stealing Kenny's laptop."

Kenny gave his own small smile. "Yeah, don't forget we trust you guys. This is just to be safe."

Tala nodded while Ray smiled, opening the cupboards and wardrobe to show they contained nothing but what they normally would.

Garland busied himself searching through the living room, though he didn't look to hard.

Tala checked Ray's bed, then Garland and Kai's before coming to his own. He knew there was nothing there but the bed sheets, but like Kenny said, it was only to be safe.

"Huh?" He blinked surprised, as his hands touched a smooth and flat surface under his pillow. He slid the object out, staring at it incredulously.

The others turned and stared, wondering if it was what they thought it was.

"My laptop!" Kenny cried, rushing over and taking it, hugging the thin technology to his chest.

"So it was here?" Tyson asked disbelievingly. "What the heck? Whose bed is that?"

"Mine, but…" Tala trailed off, trying to think through what was going on.

"But nothing!" Hillary said defiantly, glaring at the Russian. "I was wrong about you, Tala. I thought you were a nice guy, but then you go and _steal_ Kenny's laptop! What for? I hope you didn't try and steal his data or did you just take it for the sake of it?!"

"What? No, I didn't!" Tala defended, nothing but shock and confusion on his features.

"What did we ever do to you, huh Tala?" Even Tyson was angry. "I bet you were just trying to look tough. Or are you just jealous that you're not the best?"

"C'mon guys, let's go," Kenny said quietly, hading toward the door, the laptop still clutched to him.

Hillary and Tyson left after him, both glaring as they shut the door.

The room was silent before Ray spoke up. "I don't get it, Tala. Why?"

The red head blinked, snapping out of his trance and turning to face the Neko-jin. "I didn't take it, _really_. What would I want with his laptop?"

Ray sighed, shaking his head and leaving the room.

Garland gave a satisfied smirk before leaving Tala on his own.

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Kai entered the room to see Tala lying on his own bed, eyes open though they didn't seem focused.

"Tala, what's going on? I just spoke to Ray and he said you stole Kenny's laptop," Kai raised an eyebrow, his tone of voice demanding an answer.

"I didn't take it, Kai, I didn't," came the defeated whisper.

There was a long pause before Kai spoke.

"I know."

Tala blinked. "Y-You believe I didn't take Kenny's laptop? Why? I didn't but everyone else is saying-"

"I don't mean that."

Tala sat up, staring at his old tag-team partner. "Then what?"

Kai sat down next to Tala. He sighed, closing his eyes. "It's Garland, isn't it." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

Tala jumped, eyes wide. "K-Kai, how do you? Please… please don't do anything… don't say anything…"

"_Tala,_" Kai snapped harshly. "Stop it! You're being pathetic. You're stronger than this, Tala."

Suddenly he grabbed Tala by the shirt, pulling him up to stand in front of him.

"You have to stand up to him," Kai growled. "Look, Tala," he pulled at the boy's jacket, tearing it off of him and pulling the Russian's arm out, holding it up. "Look at what he's doing to you. It's like Boris all over again. We beat him, you can beat Garland."

"I can't," Tala whispered.

"You can, Tala. Stop it and start believing in yourself. He's nothing. You're Tala Ivanov, the Blitzkrieg boys' captain. The one everyone used to fear. You're better than Garland will ever be."

Tala shook his head numbly, not looking Kai in the eyes.

"For goodness sake, Tala, snap out of it."

Kai's tone was so cold and harsh, for a minute, Tala truly thought Kai would hit him.

But he didn't.

The door opened and Garland did.

Tala curled up. Preparing for a second blow. But it never came.

There was silence before a loud thump and Garland fell down beside him.

He looked up. Teeth gritted, hair wild, his fist still clenched. The solitary figure stood over him.

Kai Hiwatari.

A/N: OMG, my second update in 2 days! I love writing this fic and the reviews are really encouraging. I hope the scene dividers stay in place on this chapter, if they don't I'm sorry for any confusion. Please keep reading and reviewing, it's not over yet. :D


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